Tricycle



(No Model.)

2 sheets-sheet 1. F.. WHITE.

TRIGY'GLB,

10.414.960 y Patented Nov. 12.1889.y

FIL-LII- N. PETERS, Prwwmmgmw, wzshingwn. D. c:4

(No Model.)

. 2 sheetssheet 2. F. WHITE. l

- TRICYCLE. 10.414,960.

VVITNEEIEEE Y N. Pneus. whnwwhosnphlr. wnmngwn. 0.a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK VIIITE, OF lVESTBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO o TIIE VIIITE CYCLE COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

TRICYCLE. 4-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,960, dated November 12, v1889.

Application filed January Z, 1889.

To all whom t may concern:

Bo it known that I, FREDERICK NVHITE, of Vestborough, county of lVorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Tri'cyoles, ofl which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to construct a velocipede of the class commonly called tricycles, which may be cheaply made, easily operated, and capable of attaining great speed.

In accordance with this inventionthe main shaft carries two drive-Wheels, and said shaft is driven by pedals mounted to slide upon a guide-frame depending from the main framework of the machine, said pedals being connected .with the drive-shaft by suitable cords and clutch mechanisms. The guide-frame is joined to the main frame to swing to accommodate the different positions of the rider on different inclinations or grades of the road. The steering-wheel is suitably mounted in the main frame-work and supplied with devices by` which it may be operated. v

The machine is provided with a suitable brake to be operated when desired, and also with a suitable seat.

Figure l shows in side elevation a velocipede embodying this invention, one of the drive-wheels and a portion of the drive-shaft being omitted; Fig. 2, a rear side view of the vdrive-shaft, showing the clutch mechanisms and hubs of the drive-wheels, also the seatsupport; Fig. 3, an enlarged view of the driveshaft shown in Fig. 2, one of the clutch mechanisms for imparting rotary motion to the shaft and the clutch mechanismby which motion is given to the wheels being shown in vertical section; Fig. fi, a section of the clutch mechanism of the wheel, taken on the dotted line me; Fig. 5, asection of the clutch mechanism of the drive-shaft, taken on the dot-ted line fg y; Fig. 6, a rear side view of the pedal guideframe; Fig. 7, a section of the pedal guideframe, taken on the dotted line .z e', Fig. 6, looking down; Fig. 8, a partial section of one of the pedals, taken on the dotted line fu o,

Fig. 6; Fig. 9, a section of one of the rollers Serial No. 295,193. (No model.)

of the pedals, taken on the dotted line 2, Fig.

8; Fig. 10, a section of one of the grade-rollers over which the driving-cord passes, and Fig. 1l a detail of the guide-eye employed in connection with the brake-operating devices;

Fig. l2, a modication of the pedal-guide and rollers.

The main frame-work A of the machine is ,shaft may be made as an integral part of the driving-shaft.

The hubs CL4 of the drive-Wheel B are mounted to rotate freely upon the shaft a3, and held thereon by nuts a5, secured upon the screwthreaded ends of the shafts, suitable washers being interposed. The hubs b are secured to each end of the driving-shaft d, adjacent to or against the hubs of the drive-wheels, said hubs b having a series of flat faces and tangentially arranged projections b leading therefrom, as best shown in Fig. 4.

Each hub of each drive-wheel has an annular flange b2, which incloses the hubs b, and a series of rollers, as b5, are placed between the flange b2 and the hub b, one roller bearingv against each flat face of said hub and co-op` erating with its tangential projections h. A shell or case b3 is screwed upon each annular ange b2 to inclose the operating` parts and protect the same from dust.

The hub h, rollers b5, and flange b2 form a clutch by which rotary motion of the driveshaft is imparted to the wheel, and in operation it will be seen that when the drive-shaft is revolving in one direction, as forward, for instance, the rollers become wedged between the dat faces of the hubs b and the interior of the flange b2, thereby revolving the wheel simultaneously with the shaft, but said clutch permitting the drive-wheels to be revolved in the opposite. direction independently of the drive-shaft, the rollers stopping at the tangential projections b', thereby throwing said IOO ' shaft..

'in the frame-work A.

rollers out of engagement. The pedals c c', which consist of a frame having an upturned outer end 3, and provided with an opening l to receive a guide-rod d, said frame having mounted loosely' therein four rollers or wheels cX c2 c:3 ci, two of which rollers, as cx C2, bear against one side of the guide-rod (I, and the `other two rollers bear against the opposite side of the said guide-rod. The rollers or wheels cX c2 c3 c'1 have their bearing, as shown in Fig. 8, and the periphery of said rollers in cross-section is convex to follow in a groove formed in each side of the guide-rod, the said groove preferably being formed to present two inclined sides 5 o', with which the rollers come in contact. The rollers are placed in theframes-to act or co-operate with the guiderods loosely or freely, so as not to bind.

Each pedal-frame has attached to it a cord f, the opposite end of which is attached to a suitable clutch mounted upon the driving- As a preferable means of attachment for the cord f each pedal has loosely connected with it or attached to it ayoke f,provided with a slot f2 and a suitable recess or cavity beneath it, a small block being secured to the end of the cord j", which is placed in the said cavity, the cord entering the slotfi. The opposite end of the cord is provided with a small block f3, which enters a recess or cavity formed in a slotted holder attached to the periphery of the clutch to be described, so that the said cords may be readily detached when desired. rlhe cords f pass upward over suitable pulleys or guide-rollers g, (see Fig. lO,)'

cases n" n, adapted to lit upon the drivingshaft, inclose the hub n2, and are provided with suitable ears n, formed upon their peripheries, through which ear-bolts are passed to secure the two shells together to form a tight chamber. Rollers are placed between the interior of the shell n3 and the hub n2, and rollers oS are also provided for the attached shells n3 a* to facilitate rotation upon the drive-shaft. The grooved rim h, having ears h', inclose the shells, the said ears fitting between the ears ni of the shells n3 n and having holes cut through them to receive the same bolt employed to hold the two shells together, so that by this means the grooved rim is fixed to the shells. The holding device t' for the cord f is attached to this grooved rim.

At one side of each clutch-as, for instance, upon the side of the shells 1r* n4 adjacent to each other--are secured bevel-gears i', which mesh with an intermediate gear i2, held loosely These three gears serve as the reciprocating motion for the clutch, op-

erating to raise one clutch to its normal position as one is being operated, and vice versa.

The clutches n n are designed tobe reciprocated alternately in the following manner, namely: rlhe two pedals c c normally rise about midway1 of the guide-rods (l, and when one is depressed-as c', for instance-its cord j" will rotate the clutch n forward, ai'id by scribed for the driving-wheels the said wheelsI will be rotated.

The two guide-rods (l d, upon which the pedals c c slide, are joined by the connecting-rods d d2 at the bottom and top, respectively, the rod d2 being held in a `yoke (F, mounted upon the stud g', so that the guideframe may swing upon a center coincident with the pulley over which the cords pass. This feature is of importance, as by it the rider may accommodate himself to various inclinations or grades in the road-bed by moving the guide-frame, which movement has no effect upon the cords. The cords may pass one or more times around the grooved rim l1., as desired, and, to change the leverage of the machine, grooved rims'of different diameters may be employed in connection with the driving-clutches, and hence I have shown the same as readily detachable.

The steering-wheel C is mounted in a yoke or frame C', preferably having roller-bearings, said yoke or rim inclining rearwardly and fitting loosely in a socket of the main frame-work A. The yoke has two lateral arms, as 12, one at each side, which are respectively connected with two corresponding arms, as l-l, fixed to the lower end of the steering-rod by connecting-rods 15, and a handle-bar is attached to the upper end of the steering-rod, by which it is moved to change the position of the steering-wheel C.

The brake consists of a bent lever o, pivoted to the yoke of the steering-wheel, one

arm of the said bent lever carrying the brakeshoe o', and the other arm having attached to its upper end a cord 02, which passes through a swivel guide-eye o, shaped as shown in Fig. 11, the cord thence passing beneath the roller ol and upward to connect with the outer end of the lever oi", pivoted to the handle-bar, which lever of is adapted to be operated by the hand of the rider.

In Fig. I2 is shown a modification of the guide-rods and pedals, wherein the guiderod (l is convex in cross-section and the pulleys are grooved to roll thereon.

I claim- IOO IIO

1. In a velocipede, the driving-shaft and drive-wheels, two alternately-reciprocating clutches mounted upon the drivingshaft, combined with two sliding pedals and two independent fiexible connections for connecting the pedals with the clutches, substantially as described.

2. In a velocipede, the driving-shaft and drive-wheels, and clutches for the drivingshaft, combined with the swinging frame, and

pedals movable longitudinally thereon for operating the clutches, substantially as described.

In a velocipede, the driving-shaft and two alternately-reciprocating clutches, combined with two vertically-moving pedals and two independent cords or chains connecting the said clutches and pedals, and guide-pulleys over which the said cords pass, substantially as described.

4. In a velocipede, the driving-shaft and its two clutches, combined with two sliding pedals connected with the clutches by independent cords, pulleys over which t-he said cords pass, and the swivel guide-frame upon which the pedals slide, the said guide-frame swinging upon a center coincident with the p ulleys over which the cords pass, substantially as described.

5. In a velocipede, the driving-shaft and its two alternately-reciprocating clutches, the

drive-wheels and clutches for rotating themv forward, combined with two vertically-moving pedals, and two independent cords or chains connecting the'said pedals with the clutches for the driving-shaft, movement of the said pedals reciprocating said clutches alternately, substantially as described.

6. In a velocipede, the driving-shaft and* alternately-reciprocating clutches, and the pedals, combined with independent detachable cords or chains connecting the pedals with the. clutches, substantially as described.

7. In a velocipede, the driving-shaft, combined with the clutches for rotating'it adapted to be reciprocated by independent driving cords or chains, said clutches having an external detachable rim around `or partially around which the said cords or chains pass,`

the guide-rods of the pedal-carrying frame to guide the pedals and also hold them in proper position, substantially as described.

11. In a velocipede, the driving-shaft, its alternately-reciprocating clutches n n', their shells n3 n4, the bevel-gears t', attached to said shells, and the intermediate gear i2, interposed between the clutches and meshing with the gears z', substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' FREDERICK WHITE.

Witnesses:

BERNICE J. NoYEs, MABEL RAY. 

